The Mead Infant and Nursery School

About The Mead Infant and Nursery School

When you compare The Mead Infant and Nursery School against the Surrey local authority average for primary schools, the most striking headline is its Ofsted rating. The school was judged Inadequate overall in its most recent graded inspection in 2021, a stark contrast to the 33 outstanding primary schools across the county. However, the picture is more nuanced than that single grade suggests. While leadership and management were also rated Inadequate, every other category — quality of education, early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes — was judged Good. That means the school’s day-to-day teaching and pupil experience were considered solid, but systemic leadership issues dragged down the overall rating. For context, the previous inspection in 2007 had awarded the school Outstanding across the board, so this represents a significant decline. Parents considering this school will need to weigh the Good classroom practice against the leadership concerns flagged by Ofsted.

Academic outcomes data for The Mead is limited because it only covers Reception to Year 2, meaning it does not participate in Key Stage 2 SATs, so there is no Progress 8 or KS2 score to compare against the Surrey LA average of 66. What we do know is that the school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 132 applications for 72 places, with 69 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.83. This level of demand suggests that local families see value in the school despite the Inadequate rating. The early years provision was rated Good, which is particularly relevant given the school’s nursery provision for children from age three. With only 4.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals — well below the national average — the school serves a relatively affluent catchment area in Epsom and Ewell.

The school offers a strong range of facilities for such a young age group, including a sensory room, forest school area, playing fields, and a library. SEND provisions are notably comprehensive, covering social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, physical disability, and a resourced provision — unusual breadth for an infant school. Extracurricular options include coding, drama, film club, eco club, and chess, alongside sports like football, rounders, gymnastics, and dance. The school is a state-funded mixed primary with no religious character, and it does not have a sixth form. For families in Epsom and Ewell looking for a nursery-to-Year-2 setting with strong early years provision and a wide SEND offer, The Mead may be worth a closer look, especially if leadership improvements are underway since the 2021 inspection. The nearest outstanding alternative is Danetree Primary School, just 2 km away.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About The Mead Infant and Nursery School

Helpful Guides for Parents